MFA Grad Danqi Cai to Teach at University of Arkansas
Danqi Cai [dan-CHI Tsai] is a Spring 2023 graduate of the MFA program at the University of Tennessee School of Art. The program is proud to announce that she has been appointed as Assistant Professor of Foundations at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, beginning in the Fall of 2023.
In addition to the news of her appointment, Cai has been selected for inclusion in a biennial exhibition showcasing artists in the mid-South. Cai is among 35 artists selected for the “2023 Irene Rosenzweig Biennial Juried Exhibition,” organized by The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (ASC). The exhibition opens Thursday, July 20, 2023, at ASC, 701 S. Main St., Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with an awards reception from 5–7 p.m. The exhibition continues through October 14. Juror Dr. Rachel Trusty will present the awards at 6. The reception is free and open to the public. Cai’s work is titled “The Atomic Boy.”
( https://www.asc701.org/rosenzweig )
Cai is a native of Shenzhen, China, a large city in the vicinity of Hong Kong. This city is located in a sub-tropical zone, so she never saw snow until coming to the United States to study. Much of her family remains in China, and she plans to return there for a visit this summer.
Her US education began in Baltimore, MD, where she received her BFA in Printmaking and Humanistic Studies from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 2019. Cai has shown nationally in juried exhibitions at venues including the Alper Initiative for Washington Art (DC), Bradbury Art Museum (AR), International Print Center New York (NYC), and the Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art (VA). She received the Muskat Studios Prize from The Boston Printmakers 2019 North American Print Biennial and the Best in Show award from the 2018 Four Rivers Print Biennial. Her work has been supported by artist residencies, including the Chautauqua School of Art and the Hambidge Center. She served as an Executive Board Member for the Mid American Print Council from 2020 to 2022.
This UT MFA graduate looks forward to the challenges of her new position in Arkansas. Here at UT, she has had experience teaching Foundations courses, which cover 2D, 3D, and 4D forms of art, so she feels well prepared to teach in her new role. It is also a good fit for her because of undergraduate experience in graphic design. She found this position appealing because she enjoys cross-disciplinary teaching and values learning and teaching new skills and approaches. The University of Arkansas is, like UT, a Research I institution, so she looks forward to contributing to research as well.
“My art background is in printmaking,” she says, “But I have always had an interest in interdisciplinary work. My MFA senior thesis (heavens have one sun; mortals have one way 天无二日, 人无二理, ) was a triptych with two prints and a video in the middle. This multimedia installation was designed to remind the viewer that we all see from a perspective where some things are visible while others are invisible. It employs handmade papers and animations to remix ancient Seal Script Chinese characters, appropriated instructional materials, and diagrammatic family portraits. This work explores diverse themes, including perspective, inherited values, bilingualism, translation, adaptation, and reversal. Through this work, I re-enroll myself in my past education to re-consider and re-create what I learned as a child.”
About her experience at the UT School of Art, she explained, “To me, the appeal of UT was its interdisciplinary emphasis. I felt supported here to cultivate the time-based aspects of my work. When I chose a grad school, I looked at the reputation of the program in preparing students for careers in teaching. UT gave me the opportunity to be the instructor of record, giving me great experience to build my skills in pedagogy. In addition, I was able to participate in a pilot MFA professional practice seminar. It helped to demystify the academic job market. We worked through mock applications, teaching statements, interviews, and job talks. I felt fortunate to be able to go through this process. The mentorship from many faculty members was invaluable.”
The UT School of Art wishes Danqi Cai the very best as she progresses in her career from student to colleague and hope that the next step in her journey is fulfilling and successful.